


Prodigies

by CrownPrincessMoon



Series: Prodigies [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda, Hamilton - Miranda (Broadway Cast) RPF, Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alex has it, All of it is Hamilton, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Attempt at Humor, Bipolar Disorder, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Foster Care, Gen, Government Agencies, I'll explain, Inspired by Meyers, Kinda, LMM is Bae, Like inspiration for powers and names, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Renegades, Secrets, So is Anthony Ramos, Spies & Secret Agents, Superpowers, Tags Are Hard, This is like ridiculous, What Was I Thinking?, but not really, everyone has powers, i'm gonna stop now, though, very loosely
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-03-25 17:18:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13839408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrownPrincessMoon/pseuds/CrownPrincessMoon
Summary: For as long as anyone could remember, prodigies — individuals with superhuman abilities — have walked the Earth.Enter the New York Bureau for Prodigies or the NYBP — an agency that registers, recruits and protects prodigies from around the world.When troubled teen Alexander Hamilton is taken in by the director of the NYBP, he's pulled into a world of superheroes, villains, and thatannoyinggray space in between known as Aaron Burr.He only hopes that he makes it to college before the world ends.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [this is what home feels like](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7529824) by [questionableatbest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/questionableatbest/pseuds/questionableatbest). 
  * Inspired by [Powers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10317086) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 



> New story!  
> Yayy!  
> I got writers block for everything else, so this is to clear my head.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

For as long as anyone could remember, people with superhuman abilities walked the Earth. They were called Prodigies, and at first, they were feared.

  
Prodigies were killed and persecuted until the American Revolution where Prodigies helped the colonists defeat the British. From then on, they were respected and renowned.  
As time passed, bumping into a prodigy on the street became more and more likely and it wasn't unusual to see one in the spotlight.

All of that changed during the Age of King when Prodigies started using their powers for evil.

  
King and his followers were eventually defeated but at a great cost.  
People feared prodigies once again, and they were forced to hide their powers.

  
As a result, agencies were set up all around the world, dedicated to the registration, protection, and recruitment of Prodigies.  
Agencies such as the New York Bureau for Prodigies.

But our story doesn't start there — not yet, at least.  
No, our story starts in the driveway of a large, white mansion belonging to the Washingtons and the young man stepping out of his social worker’s car.

His name is Alexander Hamilton.  
And there are a million things — both bad and good — that he has yet to do.

Just you wait.


	2. Alexander Hamilton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three hours in Ben’s cube-shaped vehicle was more than enough time for Alex to start hating his social worker anew and he had just _barely_ repressed the urge to kick the driver's seat like a child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

Alexander Hamilton stepped out of his social worker’s car with a sigh of relief.

Three hours in Ben’s cube-shaped vehicle was more than enough time for Alex to start hating his social worker anew and he had just _barely_ repressed the urge to kick the driver's seat like a child.

He shaded his eyes as he looked out at his new foster home.  
It was a white mansion with Grecian pillars in the front and steps leading up to a gilded doorway.  
If he tilted his head to the side, he could almost make out what looked to be a pavilion in the backyard.  
Honestly. This place just _screamed_ rich people.

“I still don't get why I'm here,” Alex said as Ben struggled to pull his luggage out of the trunk, “I'm _seventeen_ , Ben! I'm practically an adult. Can't I just chill in an apartment or something until I turn eighteen?”

“Now, Alexander, you know you can't. According to the Foster Care law–”

“Any persons under the age of 18, who do not have the resources to support themselves legally, must be placed in the care of those who can do so.” Alex rolled his eyes as he finished his sentence.

Ben blinked. “Yes. How–?”

“I got bored and went through your briefcase. Found one of your books,” Alex shrugged, “No offense, but your voice is grating.”

Ben blinked again, obviously confused if he should be mad at Alex for going through his stuff or impressed that he had apparently memorized a law textbook under three hours.

In reality, Alex had been reading legal textbooks since way before the car ride — searching for the loophole that would _finally_ get him out of the system.  
Seeing as how he was in his thirteenth foster home since arriving in the U.S. when he was twelve, the search wasn't going too well.

“The Washingtons are old friends of mine, Alexander, so I need you to behave.”

“No promises,” Alex said, sliding a duffle bag over his shoulder.

Ben sighed, annoyance flickering over his face before smoothing out.

“They're good people, Alexander. Don't ruin this for yourself.”

Alex raised an eyebrow, unable to keep himself from giving a sharp laugh.

This man was completely and utterly ridiculous. It wasn't _his_ fault that people couldn't handle his non-stop personality and all the quirks that came with it. He hardly saw how _he_ was to blame for that. Besides, they saw the warning label that came with his files.  
It's not like he _asked_ them to take him in. 

He's always been fine on his own — he didn't need a family, not really.  
The adoption boat had long since sailed for him and he found himself waiting impatiently for the day he turned eighteen and left Ben and the awkwardly placed bald spot in the middle of his head.

“Sure, Ben,” he smirked, “I’ll be as _good_ as I was last time and the time before that.”

His social worker gathered his files and paused to run a hand over his face.

“Sometimes Alex, you're more trouble than your worth.” He muttered under his breath, obviously not intending Alex to hear him.

But he did and the damage was done.  
And like Alex always did when he was hurt, he turned the wound into a weapon.

He'd _show_ Ben trouble.

Without waiting for him, Alex marched up the stairs of the porch and pressed the doorbell.  
“Alexander!” Ben hissed, tripping over his feet as he struggled to get his papers in order.  
“I'm not ready yet, what are you–?”

He fell silent as the door swung open, revealing the most pristine middle-aged couple Alexander had ever laid eyes on.

The man held an air of quiet authority that made Alex instinctively uneasy — he had quite the problem with authority. He seemed kind enough though, with caramel brown skin and dark eyes that glowed with warmth.  
The woman next to him was no different, her skin a couple shades lighter and dark hair swept into a bun behind her head. The corners of her eyes contained laugh lines and she held herself with the same subdued air of regalness.  
They both wore smiles bright enough to outshine the sun.

Alex took an involuntary step back.

Moments later, with Ben shuffling awkwardly through the papers in his hands, the woman broke the silence.

“You must be Alexander,” she said, smile getting even brighter if that was possible, “I'm Martha Washington and this is my husband, George.”

The man — George — held out a hand, “Nice to meet you, Alexander.”

Alex reached out and shook it firmly, “Just Alex, sir. Nice to meet you too.”

“Okay then, _Just Alex_.” The man pulled away as his wife groaned and rolled her eyes.

“You think this is the worst of it?” She asked, catching his eyes, “He's an absolute menace.”

George look affronted.

“I thought you liked my jokes.”

Martha put her hands on her hips, raising an elegant eyebrow. 

“They certainly weren't the reason I married you.” She deadpanned.

George looked amused. “Well, I could say the same thing about your casseroles.”

“You could... _if_ you wanted to sleep on the couch, that is.”

George took on a comically horrified expression, “In which case, I take it all back. I love you, dear. And your cooking.”

“ _Mmm-hmm_.” Martha continued to look unimpressed with her husband; although, her eyes had softened considerably with the declaration of love.

The banter between the couple was so perfect — _so genuine_ — that a surprised laugh burst from Alex's lips.

George and Martha both exchanged looks and smiled at him like it was the greatest sound they'd ever heard.

Suddenly, Alex felt very uncomfortable with the attention and regretted flustering Ben so much.  
Thankfully, his caseworker had managed to recover and now stepped forward, hand outstretched.

“Nice to see you again, George. You too, Martha.”

“Ben,” George greeted, taking his hand, “How's the wife?”

“Eh.” He shrugged like, _what can you do?_  
“Anywho,” he cleared his throat and continued, “This is Alexander's file. Everything you need to know about this exceptional young man.”

He placed a hand on Alex’s back, and he casually shied away from the touch, happy when neither of the adults mentioned it.

“Well,” Ben checked the watch on his wrist, “I should really get going. Call me if you need anything.”  
He took a step back.

“Oh, you're not staying?” Martha frowned, “I have some iced tea if you'd like.”

Ben shook his head, walking back down the steps.  
Alex briefly amused himself with imagining the man tripping and rolling down the rest of the way.

“No, thank you!” He called, “I’ve got a long drive home and I want to get started before dark.”  
Translation: _I'm getting out of here before you realize what a horrible mistake you've made_.

Ben turned to Alex. “Now you have my number. Call me anytime — well, not _any_ time, but you get the gist. Don't forget to take your medicine and be good to these two. I have a feeling that you'll be very happy here.”

_Yeah, you said that the last twelve times_ , Alex thought silently with an eye roll.

He winked, and then he was gone, his cube-shaped vehicle peeling out of the driveway.  
Alex and the Washingtons waited on the porch until his car was out of sight, and for a brief moment, Alex wished Ben hadn't left so quickly. He hated getting accustomed to a new foster family and environment. It always left him feeling like the floor had been ripped out from underneath him.  
He turned back to the couple, surprised to find that they looked uncertain.  
_Perfectly_ uncertain, but uncertain, nonetheless.  
He sighed and decided to have pity on them.

“Is there somewhere I can put my stuff?”

“Yes!” Martha exclaimed, springing back into action, “George will show you to your room while I get dinner ready.”

She stepped aside to let him in and Alex followed his new foster father up the velvet-covered staircase. 

“This way, Alex.”

George was still talking, but Alex had stopped listening. He was too busy taking in the freshly painted walls and expensive paintings that lined the hallway to his room. Everything his eyes landed on seemed to be more expensive than the last.  
It made him wonder why such a wealthy couple was fostering _him_ instead of finding some baby to pour all their obvious wealth on. His eyes lingered on a glass vase and he gave himself two days before he accidentally shattered it or something of the like.

“It's a lot to take in,” George said, snapping Alex out of his thoughts.  
They had stopped in front of a large door with Alex’s name painted in gold in the center.  
Wow. They really weren't holding back.

George turned the knob and pushed the door open, revealing the biggest bedroom Alex had ever been given during a stay with a foster family.

“It’s not much to look at yet, I’m afraid. Martha and Lafayette wanted to decorate for you, but I shut them down. Thought you would like some say in how your room looks. Until then, please, make yourself at home.”

Alex walked in completely, setting his stuff on his bed while George continued to ramble on about curfews and rules and school. When George finally excused himself —Martha was calling— Alex was more than relieved to finally be left alone.

As a rule, Alex always waited a week before he actually unpacked his things. The shortest stay he'd ever had at a foster home was six days. His foster father had been “disciplining” one of the kids —a prodigy with black-and-white hair (Alex never got to find out what her powers were)— and one thing had led to another.  
Long story short: the man was arrested, the kids were given to other homes, and somehow, Alex was the bad guy—leaving the scene with the words “ _unnecessarily violent_ ” in his files.

After a while, he began exploring the room. There was a bathroom attached, and it had a shower with more settings than Alex knew existed and a large bath.  
The bed was huge and it looked fluffy, but he didn’t sit down. There was a desk in the corner that looked nicer than any desk he had ever seen, and a leather chair pushed into it. After all, he'd seen, he wouldn't be surprised if it was genuine leather.

The room made him feel uncomfortably small, but maybe that was just because of how plain it was.

Something about his new parents nagged at him; a sense of recognition that he didn’t quite understand because there was no way he’d ever met them before.  
Sure, some of the families he’d stayed with had more money than others, but the Washingtons were on a whole other level.

It took Alex a moment longer than he would have liked to realize why.  
He mentally sifted through all of Ben’s friends, remembering that the majority had been political leaders or those who could call in favors with someone on Capitol Hill…

And... _no_.  
It couldn't be _him_ —right?  
It would explain why they had the perfect couple act down to a T.

Any excitement that he may have felt at discovering the truth gave way to pure anger, and he stormed out of his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos welcomed!  
> Comments, as well!!❤️❤️❤️


	3. Now, Why Are You Upset?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His mind filled with blind panic and _oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck_.  
>  It was honestly a miracle that he hadn't poked his eye out or gotten stabbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

Alex marched angrily out of his room, fully intent on giving the Washingtons a piece of his mind when exactly four things stopped him.

_First_ , during his rampage down the hall, his arm bumped into the small table holding the glass vase he had seen earlier. The ornament had tilted precariously and Alex lunged to catch it, tripping over his feet and giving himself several heart attacks in the process. His mind filled with blind panic and _oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck_.  
It was honestly a miracle that he hadn't poked his eye out or gotten stabbed.

_Second_ , after _that_ whole fiasco, it took him a minute to remember _why_ he was mad. When he finally recalled it, he was annoyed at himself for not letting the vase break in the first place. He walked downstairs—heard laughter in the kitchen—and just as he was about to stomp over there, found himself briefly distracted by a door that was slightly ajar.  
He peered inside, breath catching at the sight of so many books in one room.  
It took several pinches on his arm to remove himself completely from the room and shut the door.  
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and gave himself a mental pep talk, already preparing his angry spiel. Maybe he would throw a couple plates for dramatic effect.

The _third_ thing that stopped him was the surprise that hit him when he realized that, “ _getting started on dinner,_ ” actually meant, “ _I’ll go order pizza_.”  
The red and white boxes looked out of place on the large, elegant, wooden table, the dichotomy of the whole thing as strange as seeing the Queen of England at McDonald's or something.

And _finally_ , the sight of the boy sitting at the table, clad in a pair of sweatpants and a gray hoodie, who couldn't have been more than a year or so older than Alex, stopped him in his tracks.  
With one leg tucked underneath him, he looked completely comfortable and natural in his setting. Much unlike Alex who still felt annoyingly self-conscious in his ratty jeans and battered jacket.

“Who are you?” He asked, mouth working faster than his brain, as always.

The boy jerked away from his phone and looked at Alex, brows furrowing in confusion.

“Lafayette?” He answered slowly, sounding comically confused, “Who…?” 

“Gilbert,” George said, jumping in, “We told you Alex was coming today, remember? It was why you couldn't stay over at John’s with Hercules.”

“But Aaron's allowed to hang out with Theo?” Lafayette raised an eyebrow, “Because _that's_ not double standards or whatever, _oui_?”

“Aaron?” Alex repeated, all the while registering the boy's French accent.

“Our son,” Martha answered, setting a plate at a chair and gesturing Alex forward.  
He found himself doing so without complaint.

“He's a bit older than Laf and you, and he has a very good reason for why he's not here to meet Alex.”

Laf looked unimpressed, “And that reason is…?”

“He's on an errand for me.” George answered, setting a slice of pizza for his wife, “He should be here later tonight.”

“ _Mais bien sûr_.” _Right_.  
Laf rolled his eyes, but he didn't really seem all that annoyed, turning to Alex with a sudden grin that made him jump slightly.

“Alex, _oui_? Short for _Alexandre_?”

“ _Alexander_ ,” he corrected, “My name is Alexander Hamilton.”

“So, _Alexandre_ ,” Laf continued as he didn't hear him, earning fond glares and head shakes from the Washingtons, “What brings you to New York?”

“My caseworker and a social injustice known as the Foster Care System.” Alex answered bluntly.

Laf opened his mouth then closed it with a frown because really, what do you _say_ to something like that?

Alex ignored him in favor of turning towards the Washingtons.

“Ben never told me you were the _senator_. I think I saw your re-election billboard on the way here, actually.”

George cringed, “Yes, I told my campaign manager not to set put those up. Greene never listens to me, unfortunately.”

“The election is in six months, right? Do I need to call Ben to mark the date or have you guys already done that?”

Martha and George exchanged confused looks.

“Umm, _quoi_?” Laf asked.

“Well, after you win re-election, I doubt you'll want to keep me around.”

Understanding filled George's face and he gave Alex an inscrutable look, “You think I'm using you...to win the election.”

“It's pretty strategic, actually,” Alex continued, picking at the cheese on his pizza, “You're already the perfect senator—what with all the progressive legislation concerning prodigies and discrimination and equality and all that. Taking in a foster kid is just the icing on the proverbial cake, right?”

Somewhere along the way, Alex's voice had gotten gradually louder and angrier. Distantly in the back of his mind, he was surprised that someone had yet to tell him to shut up.

“The only thing I don't get is why _me_? Why not a prodigy who can summon bubbles or breathe rainbows? Why some random kid from the Caribbean? _Hmm_?”

He glanced up to meet three pairs of eyes, all varying from pitying to angry.  
Although the latter was mostly coming from Lafayette.

“How could you even _think_ that? Are you always this grateful to your foster parents?”

“Are you always so naive?” Alex snapped back, feeling and welcoming the familiar rush of anger, “What wonderland do they have you living in?”

Lafayette shot up from his chair. “Are you always such a little bit–”

“ _Gilbert_!” Martha scolded, gaze turning to steel.

Lafayette— or Gilbert, whatever—sent a sheepish smile in her direction and sat back down.

“Why don't you have a seat as well, Alex?” Martha suggested, gaze softening slightly.

Alex hadn't even been aware that he had risen and quickly sat back down, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Now, I'm sure you have some questions, and George and I will be happy to answer all of them after dinner if you'd like.”

Alex swallowed and tried to figure out why he hadn’t been yelled at yet. This was usually the part where his foster parents realized he was a bit more spirited than what his files implied and sent him to his room without dinner. A few weeks later, and Ben was there to pick him up again.  
There seemed to be no such reaction from Martha or George; although, Lafayette looked more than a little annoyed with his presence now.

“Aren't you hungry?” Martha pressed, setting a glass of soda next to his plate, “Thirsty?”

He _was_ hungry. And thirsty. And the pizza looked deliciously warm and the soda, ice cold…

But he was also stubborn. 

And more often than not, the latter outweighed the formers.

He pointedly looked away from his plate, ignoring how he probably looked like a spoiled brat or something.

Moments later he heard a sigh, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Martha nudge her husband. 

“You seem to have some pressing questions,” George said, and Alex shrugged. “Please, feel free to ask anything.”

Alex was never one to beat around the bush, and certainly wouldn't start now with the Washingtons, no matter how nice they seemed to be.

“Why'd you decide to foster me? And no bs about wanting to help ' _helpless_ ’ foster children or whatever. ”

Martha's lips twitched downward at his language, but George openly laughed.

“ _Helpless_ isn't the word I'd use to describe you, Alexander,” he said and Alex had to bite down a smirk and remind himself to keep glaring.

After a moment, the Senator continued.  
“Ben and I have been friends for a very long time and I trust his judgement. He says you're very bright.”

Alex raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “ _Ben_ said that? My _caseworker_ , Ben?”

The same Ben who had been developing gray hairs ever since Alex came under his charge?

George smiled. “Yes. I must admit, we were hesitant to take in another foster child—what with how busy our schedules are and my job and the election—, but Ben convinced us.”

“Despite how often you've changed schools, your grades are consistently high, and you test very well.” Martha included, stepping into the conversation.

Alex shrugged. He knew he was smart—a genius, maybe.  
If anything that made the Washingtons even more suspicious.  
It made even _more_ sense to advertise the poor, helpless child with bursting potential taken in by the kind and caring senator.

“We think you'll do very well in the school we've enrolled you in. Gilbert has.” Martha continued.

At that, Alex finally turned his attention back to the other boy, who’s narrowed eyes looked more curious than angry now, like Alex was a puzzle he was trying to figure out.

“And _you_ are?” He asked, not bothering to keep the attitude from his tone.

The boy rolled his eyes and leaned forward, placing his arms on the table.

“Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier _Washington_ , Marquis de Lafayette. I was adopted six years ago. And I am not, how you say, _naïve_ , as you are so inclined to believe.” 

While most of the foster kids that Alex knew would be seething with jealousy at the word ‘ _adoption_ ,’ Alex merely raised his eyebrows.  
He’d long since given up on finding a family, and he’d never been fond of the idea of replacing his mother in the first place.

“ _What's with the accent_?” He asked, switching seamlessly to French.

Martha and George shared similar surprised looks and Lafayette raised an eyebrow, lips twitching upward.

“ _France is my mother country,_ ” he replied in flawless French, and Alex was happy to find that after so many years he could still follow the language.

Lafayette continued. “ _My parents died when I was young and the Washingtons are my godparents, so here I am_ ,” he finished with a shrug and Alex swallowed.

Lafayette's story was eerily similar to his own with some distinct differences, and _annoyingly_ tugged on his heartstrings.

Without even realizing it he had begun to talk to Lafayette about his own family life.

“ _I’m originally from Nevis—an island in the French Caribbean. I was there with my mom for awhile before I came to the U.S…_ ,” he let his voice trail off, already annoyed with himself for letting even that much information out.

Lafayette studied him with a head tilt, eyes considerably softer than they had been earlier.

“I’m a bit rusty with my French,”—Lafayette snorted, earning a good-natured glare from George—“But did you just say that you’re from Nevis?” Martha asked.

Alex felt his face flush and he nodded, taking a quick bite of his pizza.  
It was still warm and he had to stop himself from moaning aloud.

“It should all be in my file,” he said in English after he swallowed, “The one Ben gave you?”

“Yes, well, George and I haven't read your file yet.”

Alex, who had been taking a sip from his soda, almost choked.

“What? _Why_?”

George and Martha exchanged looks.

“We thought it best that we save that for later on,” George said, “There's no need to violate your privacy anyway and if there was anything we needed to know, we're confident you'll tell us when you feel comfortable enough to do so.”

Alex's gaze flicked between the couple, waiting for someone to burst out laughing and claim to have punked him.

When none of that happened, he nodded slowly and took another bite of his pizza.

The conversation changed into something more mundane after that.  
Lafayette was saying something about school and friends, and Martha was talking about going shopping, and George would occasionally smile at him. 

30 minutes in, Martha received a text and announced that Aaron wouldn't be able to join them tonight.

“You'll meet him tomorrow morning,” She told Alexander, “I'm sure the both of you will become great friends.”

Alex raised an eyebrow at the certainty in her voice, unsure if he should mention that he was terrible at making friends.  
In Ben's words, he was an _acquired taste_.

In short, the whole thing felt ridiculously domestic and _disgustingly_ normal, and it was the kind of thing that Alex knew he shouldn’t get used to.  
_Couldn't_ get used to.

Still, he kept quiet and continued to eat, letting himself pretend that for just a moment, he had a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Aaron Burr, Theo, and superpowers!!!


	4. Miss Maria Reynolds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well,” Maria said, smiling a bit more genuinely now, “My name’s Maria and I'll be your waitress for the night. What would you like to order?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!!!

A couple miles from the Washington Mansion, Aaron Burr casually leaned against the brick wall of a restaurant in the city, lifting his wrist to his face as he checked the time.

He ran his free hand over the rim of his fedora, casually pressing the communications device located in his ear.

“Where _are_ you, Theo? Her shift is about to start.”

Radio silence was his only response and he gave an annoyed sigh, dropping his hands into his pockets.

Theodosia was his best friend and there was no one else he'd rather be working a mission with, but when it came to being on time, the girl had some issues.

The tell-tale sound of fluttering wings snapped Aaron's attention up, his gaze catching on the swarm of butterflies circling overhead.

“Seriously?” he hissed, quickly looking around, “ _Ugh_ , just follow me.”

He went around the side of the restaurant into an alley, the swarm of butterflies flying close behind.

“You're clear.” He said after doing some quick surveillance.

The swarm dove towards the ground, merging and materializing into a young woman.

Aaron stepped forward to steady her, placing his hands lightly on her waist.

“You good, Monarch?”

“Shut up, Smokescreen.” Theo grunted, placing a hand on her head, “Give me a sec.”

Aaron resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Theo's powers usually worked better around nature and they were in the heart of New York City.  
And yet, Theo _still_ thought it was a good idea to summon the swarm every time she needed a quick lift. _Literally_.

“Okay,” Theo finally said, pushing her braided hair off her shoulder, “I'm good now.”

Aaron took a step back and surveyed her. 

The long-sleeved black dress she wore hid the marking that ran up her right arm, and perfectly matched the charcoal gray vest and slacks he was wearing.

“What were you thinking using your powers?” He asked, “We're on a _surveillance_ mission, Monarch. Which means we blend in and observe.”

Theo smiled sheepishly.

“ _Sorry_. I lost track of time. If it makes you feel better, no one noticed me anyway. It's dark and who in New York is going to look up at the sky?”

“Still,” Aaron continued, “You could have been spotted. Butterflies outside of Central Park aren't common, Theo!”

“I'm sorry, _jeez_! Calm down before you pop something, Aaron.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow.  
He prided himself on being able to mask his emotions, always keeping his voice and face as neutral as his powers.  
Even _Laf_ had trouble figuring him out and the little French boy had known him since he was eight.

Theo, on the other hand, always managed to figure him out.  
He simultaneously loved and hated her for that.

Theo glanced at her phone. “Target’s about to clock in, Smokescreen. Shall we?”

She raised her elbow and Aaron indulged her, linking their arms together.

“We shall.”

♠♠♠

Maria Lewis walked into _The Ruby Grove_ and waved hello to the man at the desk, making her way to a back door that led into the kitchen.

“How's it going, Lewis?” The chef called to her as she clocked in.

“Good!” She replied, walking into the locker room, “You?”

“Eh,” he replied, sauteing something that smelled heavenly, “Same old, same old.”

Maria hummed in reply, shucking her brown leather jacket and throwing it into her locker.  
She tied the black-and-red waitress apron around her waist and took in her reflection on the magnetic mirror located on the inside of her locker door.

“Anyone ever tell you how full of yourself you are, Lewis?” Billy, a fellow waiter, asked as he approached her from behind.

Maria smirked, touching up her bright red lipstick and flipping her curly, brown hair.

“Someone has to be, Bill. I'm too hot for my own good.”

She turned around and winked at him, feeling a strange pull in her chest simultaneously.

Billy’s eyes immediately glazed over and a familiar dopey smile came over his lips.

“Yeah, you're very _pr-pretty_. So _pretty_. And _beautiful_ and–”

“Not again,” Maria groaned.  
She quickly closed the door to the locker room and turned back to Billy who was already on one knee.

“I'd do anything for you, Maria. Anything you want. I'd buy you diamonds and gold and silver and–”

“And you have a girlfriend,” Maria interrupted, trying in vain to get her powers under control or at least get Billy to snap out of it.

The last time this happened, a man had given her his car and wallet. In front of his wife.

There was no telling what Billy would do under her spell.  
She tried snapping her fingers or squeezing her eyes really hard.

Nothing worked.

Annoyed and angry with herself, Maria kicked her locker closed, forgetting it was made of metal.  
“ _Ow_!” She exclaimed, and at the same time promptly broke off the connection.

Billy blinked, eyes clearing over as he regarded Maria with a confused expression.

She kept her face innocent, devoid of anything that might indicate she was the reason for Billy acting like a love-sick teenager briefly.

“You okay?” Mariah asked, casually trying to hop on one foot, “You kind of spaced-out there.”

Billy nodded slowly, getting up off his knee. “Yeah...sorry about that. Haven't been getting enough sleep lately.”

“You're fine.” Maria reassured, clearing her throat and opening the locker room door again, “Take a minute. I'll get the first table.”

Billy nodded, still looking confused and out of sorts.

Maria walked out, grabbing a pen and notepad as she burst through the double doors of the kitchen.  
Her heart was still racing and she forced a smile on to her face.

Ever since _him_ , she had tried so hard to keep her powers under wrap.  
Five times this week she's had people bombarder her with undying proclamations of love five minutes after they'd met her, only to snap out of it ten minutes later and leave her to explain why they had attempted to buy her—a total stranger—a diamond necklace.

She _hated_ being a prodigy. And she hated being unable to control her powers—whatever they specifically were.

“Good evening and welcome to The Ruby Grove!” She greeted the couple at table 7, “And how are you guys tonight?”

“Good!” The woman replied, “You?”

“Great!” Maria lied,“And you, sir?”

“Good.” he greeted stiffly.

“Don't mind him,” the woman said, turning to Maria with a warm smile, “He's upset that I was a bit late tonight.”

“Not true,” the man said, not looking up from the menu, “It's the _way_ you got here that upset me.”

Personally, Maria didn't think he sounded all that upset, his voice remaining even throughout the conversation.

The woman rolled her eyes and whispered conspiratorially to Maria, “ _He's such a stick-in-the-mud_.”

The man finally lowered his menu and gave his date an unimpressed look.

“Really?” He asked dryly.

The woman shrugged, throwing him a smile that seemed to brighten him up, if not a little.

“Well,” Maria said, smiling a bit more genuinely now, “My name’s Maria and I'll be your waitress for the night. What would you like to order?”

They ordered and Maria took their menus. 

“Coming right up. By the way, you guys make the _cutest_ couple.”

The man in the charcoal gray vest blinked as if in surprise then offered her a polite smile. “Thank you.”

She nodded and turned around, hearing the woman giggling behind her.

♠♠♠

“Did you hear her?” Theo asked with a small laugh, “She thinks we're a _couple_.”

“Hmm,” Aaron hummed, noncommittally, watching Maria disappear from view behind the kitchen doors, “Did you see any markings?” He asked, keeping his voice low.

Maria twirled a braided lock around her finger, smiling at Aaron even as her next words were just low and toneless.

“Nope. Nothing. You sense anything?”

Aaron tilted his head to the side, eyes flickering gray as he reached out with his powers.  
There were multiple prodigies in the restaurant, but he managed to single in on who he assumed to be Maria.

“Well?” Theo asked.

Burr's gray eyes turned dark again as he focused on her. “She's a prodigy. Her powers are hard for me to detect though. She's too far away.”

Theo nodded, lifting her glass to her lips.

“I don't suppose the Director told you why she was so important?”

Aaron shook his head. “Just said it was a simple surveillance mission. We're not to engage.”

Theo hummed. “Okay, then. Hey, your new foster brother is supposed to be arriving today, right?”

“Yeah,” Aaron replied, checking his watch, “I don't think I'll make dinner, though.”

He quickly shot a text off to Martha then pocketed the phone as he saw Maria approach with their food.

“Showtime,” Theo muttered.

♠♠♠

“...And here's your complimentary red wine.” Maria finished, setting the glass bottle in the center of the table.

“Thank you,” the woman grinned.

“No problem.” She replied, “Anything else?”

“We're good for now,” the man said, “Thank you.”

She smiled at him, and a second later, felt her powers grow active and reach for him.

Horror rocketed through her system as she realized what would happen.  
She liked the couple—the woman especially— and would hate to see them broken up because of her compelling the woman's boyfriend propose or declare his devotion to her.

She felt rooted to the spot, too scared to move as she tried fruitlessly to pull back her powers.

Instead of the love fest she had been expecting to receive, something strange happened.

Her powers hit what felt to be a wall and a second later, a sharp gasp left her lips as her powers were _pushed_ back into her.

Maria glanced sharply at the man, wondering if it were her imagination or if his eyes had briefly turned gray.

“Maria?” The woman asked gently.

“J-just call if you n-need anything.” She finally said and turned on her heels.

_What the hell just happened?_ She wondered.

♠♠♠ 

“What the _hell_ just happened?” Theo asked after Maria had left, face as pale as her lipstick was red.

“She tried to use her powers on me,” Aaron said slowly, twirling a fork in his spaghetti.

“What?” Theo exclaimed, tensing slightly, “Why? Is she a hostile?”

Aaron shook his head. “I...think it was by accident. You saw how freaked she looked.”

“Did you get a read on her powers?”

“Yep. Powers of persuasion. Not sure though what means, though. Maybe seduction?”

“Yikes,” Theo sympathized, “Bad power to not have control over.”

Aaron nodded. “And she's powerful. Or at least has the potential to be.”

“So we report her to the Bureau and keep an eye on her?” Theo asked, “She hasn't done anything wrong yet. And she looks young—like, barely out of high school.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow at her. “ _We’re_ barely out of high school.”

“Shut up,” Theo said, “We are secret government agents.”

“Say it a little louder, won't you? I don't think the whole entire restaurant heard you.” Aaron said dryly.

“Anyway,” Theo continued, “Maybe we should just watch her. See how often her powers are getting out of control. If it's a once in awhile thing, we'll just put her on low surveillance. If not, will have the Bureau reach out to her. In the meanwhile, let's close the mission.”

Aaron nodded. “Good idea. How’s Marcus, by the way?”

“Good,” Theo answered, sipping from her glass, “He got a call in Georgia. He’ll be gone for a couple months.”

“Oh,” Aaron frowned in concern, “You going to be okay by yourself?”

Theo rolled her eyes. “Yes, Aaron. I'm used to it. Not my fault my boyfriend's a well-to-do landscaper. Besides, I have you and school and the Bureau to keep me busy.”

“Okay.”

“Speaking of school, how's Princeton?”

“Same old, same old.”

“Top of the class, then?”

“Of course.”

The conversation went on for an hour, Theo’s warm and open manners falling into sync with Burr’s stiff persona.

When it came time to leave, Aaron left a large tip for Maria.

“C’mon,” he said to Theo, “ _I'm_ driving you home this time.”

♠♠♠

Maria watched as the couple left, the man opening the door for the woman as she laughed and smiled at him.

At their table were the check and a $50 bill as a tip.  
She took it hesitantly, tucking it into her pockets.

Just _who_ were those people?

Swallowing nervously, she went to check on another table.

♠♠♠

After dropping Theo off at her apartment, Aaron drove back to the Washington Mansion.

More often than not, he stayed in his dorm at Princeton, but it was getting late and his parents’ house was far closer.

He pulled into the long driveway and parked next to Martha's car before stepping out.

He pulled the house keys from his coat pocket and opened the door, unsurprised to find Martha and George waiting for him in the foyer.

Martha immediately set down her book when she saw him, getting up and sweeping him into a warm hug.

Aaron returned the favor as awkwardly as he always did when it came to physical affection.

His mother pulled away and smiled fondly at him, George's face mirroring hers.

“How was dinner? And Theo?” She asked, tugging him to the couch.

“Fine and great. She sends her love.” Aaron answered before turning to George, 

“Would you like a debriefing, sir?”

George tilted his head, considering and Martha raised an eyebrow at him.

“Absolutely not. It's almost midnight. It can _wait_ , George.”

“Your mother's right, Aaron. As she always is. Let's save it for tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir. How was dinner with—Alexander, right?” He asked, curious about his new foster brother.

“As good as you could hope for when you've been in the system for as long as he has.”

“Something happened,” Aaron stated, discerning his father's tone.

“Alex is still adjusting,” Martha said, “And I want you and Gilbert to be as supportive and understanding as possible. Okay?”

“Of course. Though you know I'm not the one to worry about, right? Laf can be excitable. Does Alex know about you and him? _Us_?”

George shrugged. “It never came up. But I'm sure Alex will be understanding. He’s a good kid, Aaron. A lot like you.”

_Like me cause I was a foster kid too?_ Aaron thought then quickly dismissed the notion because Martha and George were his _parents_ , by blood or not.

“Go get some rest, Aaron. You're going to need to drive to Princeton tomorrow, early in the morning.”

“Right. Good night, then.” He said and turned on his heels.

Aaron made his ways up the stairs, down the hallway, and as he passed Alexander's room something akin to a lightning bolt pierced his conscious.

He stumbled slightly, caught off guard.

As quickly as the surge happened, it disappeared and Aaron glanced at Alexander's door.

He sent his powers out and, doing a quick sweep of the room, recognized the stillness that came with not being a prodigy.

Shaking his head, Aaron made his way to his room.

He was so tired.

Yawning, he entered his room and shut the door.


	5. Why Are You Telling Me This?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!!!

Alex spent the night awake, hanging upside down from his bed and staring at the door.

The rest of dinner had been uneventful. Alex had eaten more pizza than he ever had in one sitting, gaining amused looks from the Washingtons and an appreciative one from Lafayette, before he’d excused himself.

Once in his “ _room_ ”, Alex changed into his pajamas and sorted through his luggage until he found his leather-bound journal and favorite silver pen.

Writing as the day was winding down was something his mother had taught him to do as a child when his manic episodes came and went at whim.  
He couldn't go to sleep—or what _resembled_ sleep in his case—without it.

His mother had been a prodigy.  
Able to make someone fall asleep just by touching them and unable to fall asleep herself which kind of made her an expert on the subject.

Unlike his brother, Alex inherited a lot from his mother. 

They shared the same sharp features, raven hair, and dark eyes.

The only thing they didn't share was powers.  
Alex was completely and utterly normal in that sense.

He had, however, inherited his mother's marking.  
As the sun went down, his dark eyes lightened and glowed until they became a glowing, blue-violet.  
Lots of people had markings without any of the powers to accompany it.  
Similarly, not all prodigies sported kaleidoscope eyes or intricate birthmarks.

On Nevis, prodigies were considered abominations and bad luck which _definitely_ did not improve his mother's already stained reputation.

Alex sometimes wondered if that was why his father took his brother and left him with their mother—because he was too much like her.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he found a clean page in his journal and began writing.

Only when the clock on his wall read 1:00 AM, did Alex's eyes slip shut, journal tucked safely into his side.

♠♠♠

The next morning, Alex woke up slightly unnerved. 

He’d fallen asleep easier than he had in a long time at a new house, and that resulted in him being more than a little bit disoriented when he woke up.

He took his medicine and after about 30 minutes spent trying to figure out which buttons turned the water on (and _that_ had been fun. It was a spa more than anything, really), Alex showered and made his way downstairs and into the kitchen where Martha and Lafayette were.

He felt his steps falter at the sight in front of him.  
It hadn't been noticeable yesterday. Not when her hair had been pulled into an elegant bun.  
Now though, with her hair falling in tousled waves to her shoulders, the bright green streak in Martha's hair was more than obvious.

As if sensing his stare, Martha looked up and smiled at him. 

“Good morning, Alexander! How'd you sleep last night?”

She reached behind her and set a plate on the counter, gesturing for him to come forward.

He did so, sitting on the stool next to Lafayette who still looked half-asleep. 

“Good.” He said, answering her earlier question.

“That’s good. George left early this morning for work and you just missed Aaron, but I'm sure we can arrange a get-together for you guys soon. ”

“That'd be nice, I guess.” He took a bite of his bacon and Martha beamed.

“Great! _Gilbert_!”

The boy jerked awake. 

“ _Je suis réveillé!_ ” _I'm awake_.

“Sure you are,” Martha smirked, “Now, what did I say about texting John and Hercules all night?”

“ _Désolé_. John and I were arguing about whether having big feet or not shorten your lifespan and Herc was playing mediator.”

Alex raised an eyebrow, trying to find the correlation between the two while Martha laughed.

“And who won?”

Lafayette looked offended. “Why, _moi_ , of course. Though John refused to admit it. You know how he is.”

“I do. That’s why I worry about him on a constant basis.”

Laf laughed then turned to Alex with a crooked smile.

“So are you ready for today?”

Alex blinked. “Ready for what?”

“Shopping, of course,” Lafayette grinned, eyes sparkling mischievously, “America’s favorite pastime.”

“We’ll need to get your school supplies, a backpack–” Martha began, ripping a piece of paper from a notepad on the fridge.

“That’s really not necessary,” Alex tried to interrupt, but Lafayette silenced him with a ‘ _don’t even try to argue_ ’ look.

“Gilbert, why don’t you go get dressed. We’ll leave in 15.”

“ _D'accord_.”

Lafayette patted Alex on the shoulder before jumping off his stool and leaving the kitchen.

Once he was gone, Alex felt his attention drawn back to the streak in Martha’s hair.

“Go on.” She suddenly said, making Alex’s eyes dart to hers.

“Um...what?”

“I know you want to ask. So ask.” Her dark eyes sparkled gently as she took a sip of her orange juice.

“Are you a prodigy?” He asked and could almost imagine Ben scolding him for his lack of tact.  
Martha on the other hand, simply smiled. “Yes, I am. Lafayette and Aaron are also.”

“Ah,” Alex said.

He reached over and slid the notepad paper Martha had written on closer to himself.  
A couple of the items on the list made Alex frown, and he was vaguely aware of Martha studying him.

“Is that okay?” Martha asked.

“Is what okay?” Alex replied, still distracted by the list, “The prodigy thing? Totally. I think it’s kind of cool actually. My mom was a prodigy.”

“I didn’t know that. Did you inherit?” Martha asked and he finally looked up.

She looked genuinely interested, leaning her elbows on the counter as she stared at him.

“No.” He said, “She was okay with that though. She didn’t want to give the people in town any more reason to hate us.”

At Martha’s confused look he explained. 

“Nevis isn’t like America. They’re still haven’t gotten over the Age of King. Prodigies aren’t exactly celebrated over there.”

Martha nodded in understanding and Alex didn’t bother to mention the other reasons for why the town hated his mother.

Clearing his throat, he changed the subject.

“So what’s this school I’m going to?”

♠♠♠

When Lafayette finally came downstairs, they all piled into Martha’s dark blue Chevy and drove to the mall.

Together, Martha and Lafayette had herded him in and out of more stores than he’d ever known existed, handing him clothes to try on that were far nicer than he’d ever owned.

“Dress code,” Lafayette said as he handed Alex a white button-up shirt and slacks to try on, “It sucks.”

As Alex had tried on a sweater vest, Lafayette idly trailed his finger through the mirrors in the dressing room, leaving ripples in his wake. 

His ability to manipulate reflective surfaces seemed to come in handy for someone as easily distracted as Lafayette. Since arriving at the mall, everything that sparkled or held a glimmer caught the other boy’s attention. 

Still, Alex had to admit it was pretty cool whenever Laf reached into a mirror and pulled something out from the other side of the mall.

They’d also gotten school supplies, shoes, a backpack, sheets for his bed, and a few other decorative things he didn’t really understand, but that Martha had insisted upon.

He went along with it to keep them happy, but when they led him towards an Apple store, Alex drew the line.

“Is this really all necessary? We’ve been here forever and I’m getting tired. Can we go?” he asked, hoping that he could at least divert them for the time being and then come up with an excuse for it later.

Unfortunately, Martha didn’t buy it. 

“This will only take a few minutes, Alex. We need to get you a phone if you’re ever going to leave the house without us and school would be much easier with a laptop.”  
Her answer was logical, of course. Still, Alex refused to budge.

“I’d really rather… not,” he insisted, hating how his voice faltered at the end of the sentence, because that never happened, and the fact that kindness was the only thing that threw him off his game was not something he wanted to look too far into.

Martha crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow in a look that clearly said, ‘ _I will get my way. So don’t fight me on this_.’  
“If you don’t have a phone Alexander, how will we contact you in emergencies? How will you contact us?”

“Pay phones?” Alex tried, rolling his eyes at Lafayette’s affronted gasp and ” _They still have those_?”

“That sounds inconvenient at best,” Martha said, and Alex couldn’t help the irritation that swelled up in him.

“So does buying a laptop and phone for me when you don’t know how long I’ll be here or if you’re going to keep me.” He snapped, and Martha’s eyes widened in shock, while Lafayette just took the opportunity to roll his.

“ _We are still discussing this?_ ” He asked in French, sounding bored, “ _The Washingtons aren’t planning on getting rid of you anytime soon, Alexandre. They like you._ ”

“ _I’m not some puppy dog they can spoil with treats and toys, Lafayette._ ” Alex growled.

“ _The Washingtons are on no accounts short of money, Alex. This doesn’t even put a dent in their savings account._ ”

“ _I’m not a charity case_.” He snapped back.

“ _I know_ ,” Lafayette said simply, and before Alex could reply to that he continued with, “ _But just take the phone and laptop, for goodness sakes. They’re giving it to you for free, and once you have them I can set you up on Twitter and send you my friends’ numbers. I can officially invite you to the party tonight._ ”

“I–you– _what_?” Alex was so startled he slipped back into English, and Lafayette took that as a sign that he’d won.

“Let’s go, Martha, love.” Lafayette wrapped an arm around his mother’s shoulders and grabbed Alex by the jacket sleeve, essentially dragging him into the store, “This is going to be _très drôle_.”

Alex left the store about 45 minutes later with the latest iPhone, an iPad that was strictly for “ _educational purposes_ ” (Lafayette had rolled his eyes then and Martha playfully slapped him), a laptop, and all the technological accessories required.

Martha and Lafayette seemed considerably happier after leaving the store and Alex chalked it up to retail therapy. Together they carried all of Alexander’s newly-bought goodies up into his room and set him up.

Soon after, Martha got a call from her friend and left for a business lunch.

Instead of leaving like Alex expected, Lafayette jumped onto his newly-made bed and pulled out his phone while Alex unpacked his MacBook. 

After a few minutes, the French teen broke the silence.

“You could be nicer, you know.” 

“Why?” Alex asked, thumbing through the instruction manual.

“They are good people and you are living with them. It would be easier for everyone if you got that— _how you say_ —brick off your back, no?”

“Chip off your shoulder,” Alex corrected and Lafayette rolled his eyes, “And I’ve lived with lots of good people. Trust me, this is nothing new.”

“Then why are you so bad at accepting kindness?”

“Why do people insist on giving it to me?” Alex shot back, “It’s none of your business, anyway.”

Lafayette continued as if he hadn’t heard him. “They were very excited about you coming here. I was too.”

“Well, maybe you guys should have lowered your expectations.” He grumbled, “I’m nothing special.”

Lafayette stared at him for a few minutes then shook his head, curled strands loosening from his ponytail, “No, that’s not true.”  
He made grabby hands for Alex’s laptop, the previous subject forgotten, “Now let me set that up for you.”

Alex raised an eyebrow but handed over the laptop.  
By the end of the afternoon, his room was organized with his new things, he had a Twitter page with just under twelve followers. The first was Lafayette, the next five were the Washingtons‘ close family friends, the third was a young man who Lafayette explained was Aaron Burr, his other foster brother, and then came Lafayette’s friends.

“They’ll love you.” Laf had insisted when he sent out the five requests.

“‘Cause I’m _so_ likable,” Alex drawled, “Seriously, Lafayette. I don’t make friends easy.”

“There must be some people.” Laf pressed.

Alex shrugged, absently pushing back the strands of hair that fell onto his forehead.  
Sure there had been a foster sibling here or there that hadn’t _completely_ hated him, but they were by no means friends. Once people got close enough for them to realize how messed up he was they stayed away and he’d come to accept that.

“Besides,” Lafayette continued, thankfully changing the subject, “You’ll get to meet them all tonight”.”

“ _Yippee_ ,” Alex said dryly and Laf smiled brightly.

“ _That_ is the spirit. Come on. Let me show you my favorite show on Netflix.”

They spent the rest of the day watching _Supernatural_ on Alex’s laptop until Martha called them down for dinner which was Chinese takeout this time.

“I’m not saying that stuff like that can’t happen by accident, but I don’t trust George King as far as I can throw him.”

“King?” Alex repeated, earning the attention of everyone at the table, “The billionaire who basically owns the Republican party and half the congressmen?”

“The very same,” George confirmed

“Don’t people say he’s planning on running for president?”

“Rumors at the moment. You follow politics?” 

Before Alex could reply, Lafayette butted in. “Peggy says George King is related to the King: the same dude who tried to overthrow the American government with prodigies.”

“Peggy says a lot of things,” Martha smiled, “And no politics at the dinner table. Now, I hear there’s a party tonight.”

“John’s dad is out of town again. It’s just a little thing among friends.”

“Since when has something at John’s been _small_?” George asked incredulously while Martha said, “‘Cause nothing like _that_ has ever gone wrong.”

“We’ll be fine.” Lafayette insisted with a grin.

“Watch out for Alex, okay?” Martha ordered, “And behave, both of you.”

“No drugs,” George added, causing Lafayette to lightly bang his forehead against the table and Martha to roll her eyes good-naturedly, “Or whatever you kids are into these days.”

“Yes, _Dad_.” Lafayette drawled out and George smiled in return.

He excused himself and before Alex could follow, George held out a hand.

“Hold on there, Alex.”

He froze in his seat.

“Martha said you were nervous about buying things because you weren’t sure if you were going to stay?”

Alex said nothing and George continued, “I assure you that Martha and I have no plans on ever getting rid of you or sending you away. We want you here for as long as possible.”

“You...can’t...promise that,” Alex said, his words stiff and uncomfortable.

George stared at him for a long time. “No...I suppose we can’t. But Martha and I will try our hardest to make it something we _can_ promise.”

Alex fiddled with his chopsticks, hating how heavy and claustrophobic the air felt.

“May I be excused?” He asked.

“Of course,” Martha said and no sooner had the words left her mouth, Alex was already up and leaving the room.

“Have fun tonight!” He heard her call after him and the fact that she didn’t sound angry or disappointed made something warm blossom in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it's not clear, Lafayette has the ability to manipulate glass and other reflective surfaces.


	6. I've Never Had A Group of Friends Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You would if you were a murderer.” Alex pointed out and the boy huffed.
> 
> “Granted. But if I was a murderer, why would I be talking to you about it? Wouldn't I have just killed you off the bat?”
> 
> “Maybe,” Alex shrugged, “I don't know how your mind works.”
> 
> “Yeah, well– _Why am I still talking to you about this_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Warning: Suicide is mentioned in the passing. Literally just the smallest mention. Not _at all_ graphic.  
>  Just letting you know! (^_^)

Alex had never been to a party before.

He said as much to Lafayette as they drove to John’s house.

“John and his father had a fight earlier this week about John using his powers. Senator Laurens is out of town for a congressional session and John is ruining the house as payback.”

Alex scoffed, looking out the passenger window.  
“You make that sound like a normal occurrence.”

“For John, it is,” Lafayette snorted, turning a tight corner, “But don’t worry about that. John’s one of my best friends and I’m _positive_ he’ll love you.”

Alex rolled his eyes but didn’t bother to mention that it was normally him who had problems with other people as well as the other way around.  
Nevertheless, he felt a little excited at the prospect of meeting a senator’s son—or at least _another_ one.

Laf parked outside a mansion that rivaled the Washingtons’ in size but lacked its’ charming simplicity.

People swarmed in and out of the house like bees and Alex felt a little bit uncomfortable about how many people were there.

The discomfort must have shown on his face because Lafayette playfully shoved him. “You’ll be fine, _petit lion_. Trust me.”

“Shut up. I’m not that little and I'm not a lion.” Alex said, but couldn’t keep his lips from twitching upward.

Lafayette grinned at him and stepped out, and Alex had no choice but to follow if he didn’t want to be left behind.

Not surprisingly, _everyone_ knew Lafayette. He was actually pretty popular which Alex didn't find hard to believe. Laf was pretty charming in a kind of “in-your-face” sort of way.  
What _did_ surprise him, however, was his foster brother taking the time to introduce him to everyone they came across.  
It made him smile when he realized Laf was treating him like a new friend instead of the boy was (most likely) temporarily living with him.

At some point, Lafayette and he were handed red cups, and Laf set his on a nearby table.

“I am— _how you say_ —designated driver for the night. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun, _Alexandre_.”

“Not my name.” Alex reminded him and Laf simply waved a hand.

He took a slight sip, wrinkling his nose at the obvious alcohol in it and it's sweet taste. Ben always warned him against drinking due to his, quote on quote, “ _unpredictable behavior_ ,” but Alex had always been good at knowing his limits.

After a cup, Alex was feeling a bit more relaxed and less confined.  
He found himself wandering away from Lafayette and to a staircase located in the hall.  
He passed some couples who were making out on the stairs and found himself on a second-floor that was _slightly_ less trashed than the floor below.  
At the very least, there were fewer people.

As he passed a glass door with gray curtains, a glimmer of silver caught his eye.  
He stopped and slightly pushed open the door, revealing a balcony with a gorgeous view of the night sky.

Without thinking, he strode forward completely into the cool air and leaned against the balconies’ railing.  
The sight reminded him of Nevis when he would stargaze with his mother outside their small house. Granted, there wasn't nearly as much light pollution in Nevis as there was in New York, but the view was lovely all the same.

“ _Whoa_!” Came a boy's voice from behind him.

Alex turned around to see a boy around his age with dark curly hair pulled into a ponytail and warm brown eyes. His face was littered with freckles and he held a black garbage bag in one hand.

“No drunks on the balcony! How'd you even get _out here_?”

Alex frowned slightly. “Not drunk and the door was open.”

“Even so. What are you doing up here?” The boy’s eyes then widened comically, “You weren't planning to jump, right?” 

“What? _No_!” Alex exclaimed as the other boy continued to speak.

“Because at this height the _most_ you could do is probably paralyze yourself for life which is _pretty_ sucky.”

“No–I–How do you _know_ that?” Alex asked.

“School,” he said vaguely.

“ _School_ ,” Alex repeated.

The guy shrugged and crossed his arms. “Well, yeah. It's not like I sit around plotting the exact height at which someone could die if they fell.”

“You would if you were a murderer.” Alex pointed out and the boy huffed.

“Granted. But if I was a murderer, why would I be talking to you about it? Wouldn't I have just killed you off the bat?”

“Maybe,” Alex shrugged, “I don't know how your mind works.”

“Yeah, well– _Why am I still talking to you about this_?” His voice came out more bemused than annoyed as he threw his hands, “I've never seen you before. Who are you?”

“Alexander Hamilton.” Alex replied, feeling slightly puzzled himself, “You?”

“John Laurens.” The boy replied, tilting his head to the side in confusion as he peered at Alex, “You know. The one who's throwing this awesome party?”

“Awesome?” Alex repeated, mouth moving faster than his brain even as he recognized Lafayette's friend, “Don't you think you're patting yourself on the back a _little bit_ too much?”

John Laurens raised an eyebrow and _shit shit shit_ , _this_ is why he didn't have any friends.

Instead of retaliating as expected, John simply laughed—a sound that warmed Alex minutely.

“You're funny.” He said with a grin, “Hamilton, you said? Laf’s guy?”

Alex frowned at the connotation of “ _Laf’s guy_.”  
“I’m not _his guy_. I'm his foster brother.”

John snapped his fingers. “ _Right_. Lafayette said you'd be coming tonight. Where is he, by the way?”

“Downstairs.” Alex said, “It was getting claustrophobic, so I came up here.”

“I know what you mean.” John said and Alex looked at him curiously, “You did tell Laf you were coming up here, right?”

“Um, no.”

John grimaced and threw him a wide grin. “You should probably get back downstairs then. If I know Laf, he’s probably giving himself a heart attack looking for you. He's protective of his friends.”

Alex wanted to point out that he wasn't Lafayette's friend—not really, at least—but decided against it.

“Okay.” He said and followed John back into the hallway.

“People have been slowly draining out. It should be less stuffy down there now.” John said as he closed the balcony door and locked it, “C’mon.”

Alex saw no other choice but to follow John down the stairs where the number of people was significantly less. Mostly due to the fact that the party was now raging outside.

“They allowed to do that?” Alex asked because it seemed unlikely that John's neighborhood was the kind that had teenage parties on their manicured lawns on a daily basis.

John took in the spectacle and grinned. “ _Nope_. Man, my dad's going to be so pissed!”

His happy tone made Alex raise an eyebrow, but before he could question it, John suddenly grabbed ahold of his wrist and dragged him along.

“What are you doing?” Alex asked, stumbling behind him.  
Usually, he _hated_ having people touch him, but John's hands seemed to emit a warmth that sent tingles down Alex's arm.

“Chill,” John said, slowing down slightly so that Alex was beside him instead of behind him, “I'm not a kidnapper or anything. Just taking you to meet our friends.”

“I wouldn't put it past you. Murderer and kidnapper.”

John snorted as they entered a room with other people.

“Please. If I was going to kidnap or kill you, don't you think I'd have done it on the balcony?”

Before Alex could reply, a rumbling voice near the doorway spoke up.

“John, _please_ tell me you're not doing one of your weird flirting things again.”

John's cheeks reddened slightly as he released Alex's wrist and hit the man sitting on the armchair upside his head.

“Shut up, Herc. I was just showing Alex around.”

“Alex?” The older boy repeated, turning around to look Alexander up and down, “ _Laf’s guy_?”

“Right on the Alex part, wrong on the Laf’s guy,” John corrected, “They're foster brothers.”

“Right. I think I saw Laf freaking out because he couldn't find you.” Herc said and Alex felt a twinge of guilt, “I'll go get him for you.”

He got up from his chair and left before Alex could consider following him, and John tugged his jacket to get his attention.

“Alex, these lovely ladies here are the Schuyler sisters.” He swept an arm towards the three girls sitting on a comfortable-looking couch, “Angelica, Eliza–.”

“And Peggy!” The girl with the yellow sundress suddenly exclaimed causing her sisters—who were in mid-conversation—to jump.  
She was younger than most of the people Alex had seen at the party, with brown ringlets pulled halfway up and lovely olive skin.

“Really, Peggy?” said Angelica, giving her sister a disapproving look that immediately branded her as the oldest.

“What?” She asked innocently, “Just wanted him to know who I am.”

“Anywho,” John grinned, “I need to take care of this,”—he held up the garbage bag in his other hand—“I'll be right back, Alex.”

He patted his shoulder and left, leaving Alex alone with who was most likely Governor Schuyler's daughters.

“C’mon,” the middle one—Elizabeth?—said, “Sit here.”

Alex slowly made her way over to a chair in front of the sisters and sat down.  
Elizabeth held out her hand and he took it, immediately feeling the tension bleed out of him.

“Eliza,” She said, smiling gently.

“Alex,” he replied, despite having already been introduced earlier.

“My sister's a traditionalist. Handshakes and all,” Angelica explained as Eliza pulled away, “You go to parties often?”

“Not if I can avoid it,” Alex said, then thinking he sounded rude, quickly added, “I'm more of a stay at home and read kind of guy.”

The smallest smile flickered across Angelica's mouth. “Me too. What are your favorite books?”

“Textbooks mostly. Finances, politics, and history.” Alex replied and Angelica's smile widened.

“History?” She repeated, “Have you ever read ‘ _Common Sense_ ’ by Thomas Paine?”

Alex blinked, surprised. “Yeah! For something so old it was–”

“Revolutionary.” Angelica finished for him and Alex found himself really looking at her.

The first thing his brain noticed was that she was pretty.  
Very pretty, in fact.  
Dark curly hair, warm brown skin, and a coral pink jacket over a pair of blue jeans.

Even more striking was the obvious intelligence in her gaze. Her eyes were incredibly sharp and seemed to be calculating everything around her.

The moment was ruined when Peggy let out an exaggerated groan and slouched into the couch.

“ _Honestly_ , Peggy,” Eliza scolded lightly, “You would think you were raised in a _barn_.”

“But they're being _boring_. It's a _party_ and they're talking about _history_. I mean, _come on_!”

She leaned forward and reached for a beer bottle on the table and Angelica slapped her hand.

“What do you think you're doing, Missy? You're _sixteen_ , for goodness sakes!”

Peggy gave another groan and turned to Alex. “Don't you _hate_ siblings?”

As if on cue, Lafayette shot into the room and nearly barreled Alex over with the momentum of his hug.

“ _There_ you are! Do you know how _worried_ I was? Hercules, tell him how worried I was.”

“He was worried.” The big man sighed, relaxing back into his armchair near the door and closing his eyes.

“Very,” John added, leaning against the doorway with a grin.

“For all I know, you could have been hurt or kidnapped–”

Peggy interrupted him with a snort. “Like John could actually go through with kidnapping someone.”

“I–He– _Quoi_?” _What_?

Lafayette's confusion was almost comical and Alex took the opportunity to disentangle himself from his arms.

“That is not _at all_ what happened.” John protested, straightening up, “Alex and I were _bonding_.”

“Bonding?” Lafayette repeated, eyes darting between the two teens as he switched to French, “ _Your fast, little Alex_.”

“Shut up,” Alex replied in English, feeling his cheeks warm as Laf cackled.

Hercules opened one eye and fixed it onto Alex. “You speak French?”

“Um, yeah.”

The eye slipped shut. “Cool.”

“I have an idea!” Eliza suddenly announced, drawing everyone's attention to her, “Let’s all get in a circle and introduce ourselves to Alex. Make him feel more welcomed.”

“I’m down,” John said, walking fully into the room and sitting in a chair near Alex.

“ _Moi aussi_.” Lafayette chimed in, dropping himself into the Hercules’ lap.

The other boy grunted with the suddenness of it and opened his eyes, glaring at Laf even as he made no move to push him off.

“Stupid French fucker.” He grumbled and Lafayette grinned cheekily, “You love me anyway, _mon chou_.”

“Okay!” Angelica exclaimed, clapping her hands once. Her eyes glittered. 

 

“ _Who wants to go first_?”


	7. I Remember That Ni—REWIND

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My full name is Margarita, which, _I know_. How does _Margarita_ turn into _Peggy_? Hell, if I know.”
> 
> “Peggy,” Angelica said, a warning creeping into her voice and Peggy rolled her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!!!
> 
> (Hopefully, I'll have more time to update!!)

Angelica leaned against the Laurens Mansion doorway, watching as Alex and Lafayette stood outside their car, speaking quietly amongst themselves.

Whatever Lafayette said had Alex rolling his eyes but smiling nonetheless as he turned around to look at Angelica.   
She waved silently and he nodded in return. Angelica sensed movement beside her and saw Alex brighten the slightest bit before turning around and getting into the car.

As they drove away, she glanced at the teenage boy who now stood next to her, assessing the warmth in his brown eyes as he followed the car out of his neighborhood.

She felt a small pain of hurt and wondered if she had made the right choice. 

‘ _I just might regret this night for the rest of my days_.’ She thought, oddly at peace with the notion.

“You should drive your sisters home,” John suddenly said, gaining her attention, “It’s getting really late.”

She turned to him. “What? You don’t need any help with all of this?”

She gestured toward the lawn that was now littered with red cups and plates.

John’s eyes swept over the wreckage and he slowly shook his head. “Nah. I’m not planning on sleeping anytime soon and Herc is staying over for the night. He’ll help.”

“Okay, then. See you on Monday?”

“Mhhmm.” John hummed. He pulled her into a hug, muttering goodbye, then disappeared back into his house.

Sighing, Angelica walked over to where her sisters stood next to her car.

“Hey,” Eliza greeted, looking away from Peggy who was attempting to catch a frog, “You okay?”

“Fine.” Angelica lied.

Her younger sister narrowed her eyes, no doubt sensing Angelica’s inner turmoil.

“Are you sure, Angi–”

Almost instinctively, Angelica reached out with her powers, feeling the world slow until everything stood still.

Eliza’s half-asked question rang in her head. _Had_ she done the right thing?

She had to make sure.

Leaving her physical body, she selected a particular memory during the night and concentrated.

Rewind. _(“–could actually go through with kidnapping someone.”)_

Rewind. _(“–think you were raised in a barn.”)_

Rewind. _(“–ever read ‘Common Sense’ by Thomas Paine?”)_

Around her, the world went into reverse. Rewinding until she was back in John’s living room with her sisters and she was being introduced to Alexander Hamilton.

‘ _Play_ ’ She whispered and the memory started with John mid-sentence.

♠♠♠

“–be right back, Alex.”

Angelica watched as John left, leaving the new kid with them.

Alex looked warily towards the sisters, tension radiating in such waves off of him that Angelica didn’t need to be an empath to sense that he was _clearly_ uncomfortable.

Next to her Eliza shifted slightly, and Angelica had no doubt that her sister was trying to filter the intake of emotion.

“C’mon,” Eliza said, voice as sweet and gentle as ever, “Sit here.”

Alex looked surprised she was talking to him. He slowly made his way over and sat in the chair near the couch.

Eliza held out her hand and Alex seemed to take it instinctively.

Angelica watched his shoulders relax and felt his guard drop the smallest bit, knowing full well that Eliza’s powers were at work.

“Eliza.” She said with a kind smile and the corner of Alex's lip twitched.

“Alex.” He replied.

“My sister's a traditionalist. Handshakes and all,” Angelica explained as Eliza pulled away, “You go to parties often?”

“Not if I can avoid it,” Alex said, voice almost indifferent.   
Angelica felt her interest piqued as Alex quickly added, “I'm more of a stay at home and read kind of guy.”

Angelica allowed the smallest smile to cross her features. “Me too. What are your favorite books?”

Alex glanced at her in what seemed to be confusion. Like he wasn't used to people asking him that question.

“Textbooks mostly. Finances, politics, and history.” Alex replied almost cautiously and Angelica's smile widened.

“History?” She repeated, feeling a trill shoot through her at the mention of her favorite subject, “Have you ever read ‘ _Common Sense_ ’ by Thomas Paine?”

Alex blinked, a smile of his own forming. “Yeah! For something so old it was–”

“Revolutionary.” Angelica finished for him and Alex gave her an intense look.

He was handsome, Angelica thought offhandedly. With silky black hair pulled into a ponytail and blue-violet eyes that seemed both focused and distant at the same time.

For the first time in a long time, Angelica felt speechless.

Unfortunately, Peggy wasn't.

Her younger sister let out a drawn-out groan and slouched into the couch with a vehemence.

The moment between Alex and Angelica broke as he looked away, leaving Angelica a bit disoriented.

“ _Honestly_ , Peggy,” Eliza was scolding, “You would think you were raised in a _barn_.”

“But they're being _boring_. It's a party and they're talking about _history_. I mean, _come on_!”

She leaned forward and reached for a beer bottle on the table and Angelica instinctively slapped her hand away.

“What do you think you're doing, Missy? You're sixteen, for goodness sakes!”

Peggy gave another dramatic groan and turned to Alex. “Don't you hate siblings?”

Not even a second later, Lafayette rocketed into the room and almost tackled Alex off his chair.

“There you are! Do you know how worried I was? Hercules, tell him how worried I was.”

“He was worried.” Hercules sighed. He relaxed back into his self-proclaimed armchair and closed his eyes.

“Very,” John added, reappearing at the doorway with a smile.

“For all I know, you could have been hurt or kidnapped–” Lafayette continued and Angelica fondly rolled her eyes.

Peggy interrupted him with a snort. “Like John could actually go through with kidnapping someone.”

“I–He– _Quelle_?” _What_?

Lafayette's confusion was obvious and Alex took the opportunity to disentangle himself.

“That is not at all what happened.” John protested, straightening up, “Alex and I were bonding.”

“Bonding?” Lafayette repeated.

' _Bonding?_ ’ Angelica thought, glancing at the two boys to see if she'd missed something.

Lafayette said something in French and Alex's cheeks tinted.

“Shut up.” He snapped.

Hercules opened one eye and fixed it onto Alex. “You speak French?”

“Um, yeah.” His answer was phrased like a question and Herc's eye slipped shut.

“Cool.”

“I have an idea!” Eliza suddenly announced, drawing everyone's attention to her. Her younger sister just had that effect on people.  
“Let’s all get in a circle and introduce ourselves to Alex. Something true and something interesting.”

“I’m down,” John said, walking fully into the room and sitting in a chair near Alex.

Again Angelica tried to find something.   
A shared smile or blush that would indicate anything romantic happening between the two.

Instead, she found nothing.

“ _Moi aussi_.” Lafayette added, dropping himself into Hercules’ lap and startling the other awake.

“Stupid French fucker.” He grumbled and Lafayette grinned cheekily, “You love me anyway, _mon chou_.”

“Okay!” Angelica exclaimed, clapping her hands once. All eyes turned to her and she grinned. 

“Who wants to go first?”

♠♠♠

“ _Ooh!_ ” Eliza exclaimed, “I will.”

Alex couldn't help but smile at Schuyler’s enthusiasm and Angelica nodded.

“You have the floor.”

“Good,” She cleared her throat and turned to Alex, “My name is Elizabeth Schuyler, but almost everyone calls me Eliza.”

“Almost?” Alex can't help but ask and Eliza smiled at his question.

“My parents. Teachers,” she clarified, “Usually when I get in trouble.”

“Which happens a grand total of never,” Peggy added and Eliza playfully glared at her.

“Hush, you,” she turned back to Alex, “Anyway, something true: I'm a 17-years-old and a junior at Valley Prep. Something interesting, I guess, would be that I’m a prodigy. Empath to be more specific.”

“Eliza can sense the emotions of others,” Angelica explained, “Also make them feel what she wants them to feel.”

“Ah,” Alex commented, remembering the sudden calm that came over him when he shook her hand.

“There are limits,” Eliza continued, “Like I can't project my powers intentionally. Maybe when I'm older. Sometimes though, when I'm having a really good or really bad day, everyone around me feels a little of what I do.”

“Cool,” Alex said, and he meant it.   
Despite just having met her, the power seemed to suit Eliza perfectly.

He must have conveyed this through his emotions or something because Eliza suddenly brightened, throwing him a stunning smile.

“Thank you!”

Alex felt his face warm from her attention and quickly looked away.

“My turn!” Peggy exclaimed.

Everyone turned to Peggy and she grinned.

“My full name is Margarita, which, _I know_. How does _Margarita_ turn into _Peggy_? Hell, if I know.”

“Peggy,” Angelica said, a warning creeping into her voice and Peggy rolled her eyes.

“Getting back on track, I'm 16 and I also go to Valley Prep. As a sophomore, unfortunately. I don't have any powers unlike 'Liza and Angie and the rest of these _fuc_ –”

“Peggy!” Angelica and Eliza exclaimed simultaneously.

“– _fabulous friends_! I was gonna say, fabulous friends, _jeez_ guys. What about you?” She asked.

“What?” Alex asked, wondering if he missed a question.

“Are you a prodigy? Do they have prodigies where you're from? Where are you from, anyway? Like, originally?”

“Pegs, chill for a se–” 

“No. A few. And unimportant in the grand scheme of things.” Alex answered easily, interrupting Angelica's scolding.

The others exchanged looks, and John looked the slightest bit more interested in him. Not that it mattered if he was.

“Cool.” Peggy said, giving him a lopsided smile, “We'll get to be the undynamic duo or something.”

“Or something.” Alex agreed with a smile sent her way.

“Well,” Lafayette said, calling attention to himself, “You already know _moi_ , but for the sake of participating–”

“Like you _don't_ seize every opportunity you can to talk about yourself?” Herc asked, and Lafayette covered his mouth.

“Hercules, here, is a senior like our darling Angelica. He also has the dreadfully common ability of super strength and dreams to become either a spy or a fashion designer. That covers it all, _oui_?”

The last part was directed towards Hercules who peeled Lafayette's hand off his mouth and sent an unimpressed look at Alex.  
“Unfortunately, yes. By the way, if you ever need someone to get rid of him–”

“ _Hey!_ ”

“–I’ll have no qualms about hiding the body.”

“You, monsieur, are cruel. Alex would never even think–” 

“Really?” Alex interrupted, “Cool.”

“Hey!”

“Angelica, your turn,” Herc said, ignoring Laf’s splutter.

The young woman turned to Alex with a smirk. “We’ve already been introduced, but for the sake of ‘Liza’s game: my name is Angelica Schuyler. Prodigy, an aspiring journalist, and big sister extraordinaire.”

Peggy scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself.” 

“Just because I don’t let you drink–” Angelica began.

“John’s a borderline alcoholic and he’s only a year older than me.”

“That is not true,” John interjected with a mildly offended tone, “I pace myself, thank you very much.”

“That helps?” Alex asked, genuinely curious.

“As a matter of fact, it does,” John shrugged, “That and the fact that Herc is a ‘ _freaking_ ’ mother hen.”

“Hey,” Herc said, turning slightly to face John, “I’m the reason you haven’t died from alcohol poisoning, yet, asshole.”

“And I love you for that,” John smirked, and Alex couldn’t help his chuckle.

The other boy turned back to him.   
“John Laurens, but you already know that. I’m a junior at Valley Prep and, as you can clearly tell, entitled, rich boy.” 

“‘‘Cause that doesn’t make you seem shallow, at all,” Alex commented dryly.

“I try.” John shrugged.

“To be annoying?”

“Charming is the word you’re looking for, I think."

“Right,” Alex drawled.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw Angelica’s eyes dart between the two of them, brow furrowed.

“So,” John leaned forward in his chair, knees angled towards him, “What about you? What’s your story?”

Just like that, everyone’s attention was on Alex, and he felt his skin crawl.

“I’m 17-years-old,” he began slowly, “And I’m a foster kid. End of story.”

“That...That can’t be all.” John said, raising an eyebrow.

“Can’t it be, Mr. ‘ _self-entitled–rich–boy’_?”

“No,” Peggy answered instead, “Because you just doubled your mystery factor, and now, I’m interested. So who, exactly, is Alexander Hamilton?”

The crawling of his skin got even worse as everyone's gaze turned expectant. Even Laf seemed interested in the answer.

“No one,” He heard himself say, “No one important, at least. Not yet.”

“C’mon,” Peggy pressed, “There has to be someth–”

Alex stood up so fast that his chair almost fell down.  
“I think I need some air.” He announced, then left without waiting for a response.

Most of the crowd had pooled outside into the lawn, and Alex leaned against a pillar near the doorway.  
He overreacted, he knew that, but for some inexplicable reason, his body had gone into fight-or-flight mode.  
Lafayette’s friends would now know how...off he really was, and for some stupid reason, he felt disappointed.   
It wasn’t like he was planning on befriending them, right? Not when his time with the Washingtons’ was so obviously limited.

Still...he had been hopeful. And that stung the most.

♠♠♠

“I think I need some air,” Alex announced, abruptly getting up from his chair.

Angelica blinked and he was gone, leaving her and the rest of the inhabitants of the room bewildered.

“Did–” Peggy frowned, “Did I say something wrong?”

“Non,” Lafayette said slowly, getting up off of Hercules’s lap, “Alex is—how you say—complicated. He’s still adjusting. I-I need to go find him.”

“We’ll help.” Eliza offered and Laf threw her a grateful smile. 

 

“Let’s split up. I’ll take the second floor with Pegs.” Hercules suggested, and started in the direction of the stairs, followed by Peggy.

Eliza teamed up with Laf to search the hallways, leaving Angelica alone with John.

“Living rooms, maybe?” John proposed, and Angelica nodded.

Unfortunately, the living room was only filled with couples who were a bit too comfortable with each other, and a few people passed out on the couches.

“He’s nice, right?” John suddenly asked when they peeked into the kitchen, and Angelica glanced at him.

“Who? Alex?”

“Yeah.” John fully entered the kitchen and crossed over to his fridge, pulling the door open.

“I mean, yeah. He seems really cool. Why?”

“No reason,” John replied, slamming the fridge door shut and tossing her a water bottle.

She caught it easily, studying John's too innocent expression.

“John,” she began, “Do you...Do you like, Alex?”

He frowned at her. “Well, yeah. Like you said, he's cool.”

That wasn't what Angelica meant at all, but she didn't bother correcting him.

Even now there was a lightness to John that she hadn't seen in a long time, and she would have to be an idiot to not to see when it all started.  
Alex could be...good for John.

“You okay, Ang?” John asked, “You have your weird thinking face on.”

“Yeah,” she answered slowly, “I'm fine. Let's go back to looking for Alex, hm?”

He nodded, and they walked back out into the hallway.

It was only while in the foyer, that Angelica caught sight of Alex's leather jacket outside.

It would be so easy to go out and comfort him, but…

“John,” she called and he turned to her.

“Yeah?”

“I found Alex. He’s outside.”

“Great! Should I text Laf or–”

“I'll do it,” Angelica interrupted, “Go...go talk to him.”

John looked at the door then back at her, expression uncertain.

“And say what exactly?”

“It'll come to you,” She replied, “You’re great at these kinds of things. Now go.”

John gave her a brief smile and turned around.

♠♠♠

“Water?” A familiar voice suddenly asked, and Alex turned around to see John come to stand next to him.

“Thanks,” Alex replied, taking the offered water bottle. 

He didn't drink it though, absently twisting the cap open and closed.  
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw John watching him intently.

“What?” He asked, keeping his eyes on the party.

“I'm trying to figure out what to say to make you feel better,” John answered bluntly with a shrug, “Don't suppose you'll tell me what to say?”

“Nothing because you guys did nothing wrong. It's me, I'm–”

“Complicated.” John finished, and Alex finally looked at him.

“For lack of a better word, I suppose that yes, I am complicated.”

John smirked. “Lucky for you, I also happen to be complicated. As well as everyone else in our revolutionary set.”

“Aww. But you seemed so simple.” Alex joked, feigning disappointment, and John laughed.

“Yeah, well: spoiled, rich kid throwing a party while his dad is away. Can't get any more complex than that.”

Alex smiled, and John's grin grew even bigger.

“Alex! There you are!” Lafayette's voice pierced through whatever moment they were having, and the French teen wrapped Alex into an uncomfortable but warm hug.

“You can not keep running away, le petit lion. You are going to give me a heart attack one day.”

“Yeah, sorry 'bout that.” Alex apologized as he pushed Laf's hands away, “I needed some air. I'm fine now.”

Laf pulled away and studied his face with a frown.

“Maybe we should call it a night, oui?”

Alex would have argued except for the fact that being around so many people at once was starting to wear him out, so he nodded.

“I'll see you at school, then?” John asked and Alex gave a half-smile in reply.

“C'mon,” Laf said after John disappeared back into the mansion, “Let's go home.”

“Your home, you mean.” Alex absently corrected, and Laf stopped walking.

“What?” Alex asked, skidding to a halt.

“Our home, Alex. You live with us now.”

“Living somewhere doesn't make it home,” Alex pointed out. He had learned that lesson one too many times.

Laf looked frustrated and crossed his arms. “We will just have to make it home then.”

Alex rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the smile creeping over his face.

“Sure, Laf. Can we go now?”

Lafayette sighed and nodded. “ _Oui_ , of course.”

Alex glanced back over at the Laurens Mansion to see Angelica in the doorway. A second later, John appeared and Alex felt warm all over.

Dismissing the feeling, he turned around and got into the car.

♠♠♠

“Are you sure, Angie?” Eliza was asking.

Angelica blinked a couple times, trying to orient herself after dancing through time like that.

“Angelica?” Eliza repeated, “Are you okay?”

“Um, yeah.” She cleared her throat and smiled, “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s get home, shall we?”

Angelica waited until her sisters entered the car to pull out her keys and take one final glance at John’s house.

Maybe being Alexander’s friend will be satisfying enough.

Maybe.


	8. Author's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please read!

Hello, everyone!  
It's been a while...  
I've been revisiting some of my old fics and I wanted to know if anyone was interested in me continuing this one. Let me know in the comments!!

Love you guys!!!❤️❤️❤️


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